ANDY GARCIA & EVA LONGORIA TAPPED FOR "THE TRUTH": TO FILM IN ONTARIO

Kevin Durand in Toronto - September 2011

One of the latest titles to begin filming in-and-around Ontario is Damian Lee’s The Truth, as reported by Deadline.  Production is going to be based out of Sudbury, about 387 km away from Toronto. The Thriller stars a quiet-of-late Academy Award nominated-Andy Garcia (Ocean's Eleven, The Godfather III) as an ex-CIA member who becomes a Talk Show Host. He is hired by a Whistleblower (Desperate Housewives’ Eva Longoria) to expose her Company’s massacre of a village in South America. Filming takes place in and around Ontario and also the Dominican Republic. Ontario dates are scheduled tentatively from October 27 through November 16, 2011.

In addition to Garcia and Longoria, the Film stars also Devon Bostick, Deborah Kara Unger, Kim Coates, Academy Award-winning Forest Whitaker and a familiar face in Kevin Durand, who currently is in-town working on Resident Evil: Retribution. The Film will be released in 2012.

(Photo credit: Mr. Will-W.)

EVA LONGORIA PARKER AT RALLY FOR KIDS IN TORONTO

Eva Longoria Parker at TIFF 2005 for Harsh Times

What was Eva Longoria Parker doing on the night of the season premiere of ABC's Desperate Housewives?  Girl was in Toronto!  

Many don't realize that other than being a catty former Model-turned-Adulterer on the show, that lovely Longoria Parker actually does quite a bit of Fund Raising.  This weekend she was in the city making the most of her time as Honorary Co-Chair of the Rally for Kids, raising money for Cancer Research.  The event was also Chaired by actor Hayden Christensen who we saw at TIFF just over a week ago!

How Rally for Kids works is that donors who are willing to put forth a minimum $25k donation, get the chance to participate in a Charity Auto Race called the Cancer Scavenger Cup, in a fancy ride with a Celebrity of their choice.  The Celebrities navigate them through various Pit Stops around the city and this year they included the likes of Eric Roberts, Bai Ling (!!!!), Lou Gosset Jr., Nikki Blonsky, Mya, Robin Antin and many others.  Check out the full list here.  The Rally takes place at various destinations throughout North America.

Longoria Parker and Christensen hosted a Gala at the historic Royal York Hotel also last night, prior to heading to an After-party at the Canadian National Exhibition's night club Muzik.  She also appeared at a Workshop earlier today for Beauty Professionals and handed out bottles of her new fragrance Eva in addition to an appearance on Virgin Radio.

NO BUSINESS IN CANNES

I’m sorry ladies, but you have no business being in Cannes. I’ve checked your IMDB pages and there is nothing remotely-related to the Cannes Film Festival on the Docket for any of you. It seems that every time I click on some photos from the festivities in the French Riviera, I keep seeing Eva Longoria-Parker, Lindsay Lohan and Aishwaraya Rai pop up. And honestly, you know it’s a bad sign when I ask my Indian friend Tym about Rai and she asked, “Wasn’t she last in that movie ‘Indian Spice Girls’?”. I think she meant Rai’s 2005 film Mistress of Spices. Yes, even the people of India aren’t watching her movies, so what gives?

Please tell me this isn’t the most star power the festival could muster. Another reason why the Toronto International Film Festival reigns supreme. We get the titles that sway Academy voters and we get the real stars. Cannes 0, Toronto 1. (Photo credit: Rex/Getty Images)